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Articles by Carl Smith
Massachusetts Moves Up in Election Competition. Barely.
It came in second to last. Thanks to a slight uptick in the share of state legislative races with multiple choices for voters this election season, the Bay State climbed from the basement up one single rung higher in Ballotpedia’s biennial competition index. For the first time since Barack Obama was president, Massachusetts did not land in dead last place in one assessment of electoral competitiveness.
South Dakota Offers Forgivable Down Payments to Homebuyers
The authority will launch its Give Me Five program on Nov. 2, lending qualifying homebuyers a down payment equal to 5% of their mortgage. Recipients are not required to make payments on the down-payment loan, and it’s forgiven after five years if recipients stay in the home and meet other program requirements.
Cincinnati Schools Offer a New Approach to Family Homelessness
Cincinnati’s Safe Sleep Lot opened April 30 at William Howard Taft Elementary School and more than 300 people have slept in the lot so far, said Megan Rahill, shelter and housing specialist with Project Connect. “A lot of times, when you’re sleeping in your car, it’s because you’ve exhausted all your social avenues of people you can stay with, and so they’re often feeling so isolated and like nobody cares anymore, and they’re on their own,” Rahill said.
How Should Local Health Officers Respond to Measles Outbreaks?
The U.S. has been in the grip of a measles outbreak since 2025. Cases in 2026 are nearly double the record number in 2025. Lower vaccination rates have contributed to the spread of the disease, which the U.S. declared “eliminated” in 2000. The spike in cases threatens that designation. Jessica Malaty Rivera, a science communication expert, talked to Governing about strategies health departments can use to gain trust in their communities and get measles outbreaks under control.
Missouri Voters Will Decide Whether to Invest Their Way Out of Taxes
Amendment 7 will ask voters if they would like to enshrine in the state’s constitution a “permanent public endowment fund to support state government” with the ultimate goal of eliminating all state taxes. The idea, called a sovereign wealth fund, allows a state to invest public money and allow the returns to compound over generations. It is like a “financial time capsule,” Republican state Sen. Adam Schnelting, who championed the proposal in the legislature, told The Independent.
Florida Expanded Its Armed Campus Program. No Colleges Have Signed On.
The Legislature passed HB 757 during the 2026 regular legislative session. It includes a controversial provision allowing professors and other people appointed by a university president to carry weapons on campus. They would have to complete 144 hours of training and pass drug tests and psychological evaluations. The proposal represented an expansion of Florida’s School Guardian Program, created for K-12 schools following the Feb.
Election Betting Is Booming. States Are Fighting to Regulate It.
On Friday morning, the prediction market platform Kalshi gave the Democratic candidate in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race an 87% chance of winning. The volume of trading on the outcome exceeded $1.8 million. This is exactly the type of activity Minnesota and numerous other states want to shut down. “They jeopardize people’s trust in government and government decision-making. They jeopardize people’s trust in elections,” said Minnesota state Rep.
The Rising Cost Of Water
Water from a faucet. As Americans grapple with a widespread affordability crisis, it seems even water is not immune to economic pressures — in fact, it’s getting more expensive more quickly than other basic needs. A new report finds that over the past 10 years, the cost of household drinking water increased faster than the cost of groceries, faster than inflation, and faster than household income.
Sexual Consent Laws Vary Widely Across States
A person can be awake, responsive and even able to move during a sexual encounter while still being so intoxicated or impaired that they cannot understand what is happening or make an informed decision about sex. But whether that person is considered legally incapable of consenting can depend on the state and, in some cases, on how the person became intoxicated. A Cornell University student’s allegations of gang rape in 2024 have renewed attention on a difficult area of sexual assault law.
Honolulu Permitting Issues Delay Housing Citywide
And the owners of a new single-family home in Spokane or Colorado Springs can turn the key to their front door while those in Honolulu still have another year to wait. Those stark differences are highlighted in a new study of permit and construction timelines across 60 U.S. cities over the last two decades. Overall the research shows Honolulu still has a way to go to compete with the permitting and building timelines of other cities.
The Rising Cost of Water
As Americans grapple with a widespread affordability crisis, it seems even water is not immune to economic pressures — in fact, it's getting more expensive more quickly than other basic needs. A new report finds that over the past 10 years, the cost of household drinking water increased faster than the cost of groceries, faster than inflation and faster than household income.
Political Deepfakes and the Limits of Regulation
Now imagine that your state has passed a law against these AI-generated election deepfakes. Would that mean the video has to be removed from the airwaves? In its June 2026 report, the National Conference of State Legislatures counted 31 states with election deepfake laws. California and Texas enacted their first election-deepfake laws in 2019, but most states adopted theirs in 2024 or later. Among the 31 states, 28 required disclosures.
What Louisiana's SNAP Decline Could Mean for Other States
Nationally, an estimated 5million, or 13%, fewer people were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, this June than in July 2025, when the law was enacted. Louisiana saw one of the most precipitous declines, dropping about 170,000 people, or 21% of state enrollees, according to federal data.
A Rural Illinois Community Turns to Ultrasound to Fight Toxic Algae
These yellow buoys that McFarland was sending out to their “summer home” on the reservoir are called Solarafts. They kill cyanobacteria through ultrasonic waves, keeping bacteria in the reservoir, also known as blue-green algae, from becoming toxic to humans and animals. In July 2025, the city of Mattoon issued a “do not drink” order after a harmful algal bloom caused the levels of microcystin, a toxin caused by cyanobacteria, in Lake Paradise to rise to potentially dangerous levels.
The Right Questions to Ask About AI in Criminal Justice
The public safety benefits of this technology are real. In Hewitt, Texas, police used a license plate reader when her alleged abuser approached her home. Elsewhere, the technology has helped officers locate murder suspects, recover abducted children, find missing people and identify vehicles tied to serious crimes. The risks are real too. Recent reporting has documented officers using the same camera network for private purposes, such as tracking intimate partners and relatives.
The Nation’s Highest State Minimum Wage Is Going Even Higher
The state’s minimum wage will climb to $17.73 an hour starting Jan. 1, the state Department of Labor and Industries announced this week. That’s a 60-cent increase from the current hourly rate of $17.13, which is the highest of any state in the nation and more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25an hour. Washington’s minimum wage workers will get a 3.5% pay bump in 2027. State law requires the Department of Labor and Industries to adjust the minimum wage annually for inflation.
Ohio Shows Why Permitting Reform Is Easier Said Than Done
“We can have all the energy in the world from oil and natural gas, but if we can’t move it from point A to point B, it’s worthless,” Bowling Green U.S. Rep. Bob Latta said after a panel discussion hosted by the Ohio Manufacturers Association. At a different event hosted by Arnold Ventures and the Club for Growth, Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted said permitting reform could end “junk lawsuits” and the “political gamesmanship” of energy policy whipsawing from one administration to the next.
New England States Find Common Ground on Nuclear Power
“I’ve watched the regional level for 25 years, and I have never seen the level of collaboration that’s happening, never,” said Kerrick Johnson, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, at a nuclear policy summit held at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, on Wednesday.
Housing Policy Takes Center Stage on November Ballots
The six measures across California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the highest number in a single election year in at least two decades, according to Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan election research organization. The ballot issues include approving billions of dollars in bonds for new housing and to help finance home purchases, loosening minimum lot-size rules, speeding environmental reviews and funding infrastructure needed for new development.
Illinois Becomes First Great Lakes State to Target Plastic Pellet Pollution
On Aug. 7, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) signed into law Public Act 104-0772, making his state the first in the Midwest to address pollution from plastic pellets—microplastics that are the building blocks of plastic materials and products. The new law, which takes effect on Jan.
How Proposed Census Changes Could Affect State and Local Governments
Proposed changes to the 2030 census represent a significant break from the way data has been collected in years past. These changes could have major consequences for cities and states, from federal funding to planning for services of every kind. Robert Santos, the former director of the Census Bureau, spoke with Governing about what the changes could mean if enacted. Who is “America”? Every 10 years, the Census Bureau attempts to answer this question.
How Proposed Census Changes Could Affect State and Local Governments
Proposed changes to the 2030 census represent a significant break from the way data has been collected in years past. These changes could have major consequences for cities and states, from federal funding to planning for services of every kind. Robert Santos, the former director of the Census Bureau, spoke with Governing about what the changes could mean if enacted. Who is “America”? Every 10 years, the Census Bureau attempts to answer this question.
Shrinking Air Monitoring Networks Leave Communities With Fewer Options
Over recent decades, federal funding for public air monitoring has declined, the number of monitors has fallen, and much of the remaining equipment is aging or located far from major polluters. Now, the stakes are rising: Wildfire smoke is reaching more communities, data centers are adding pollution, and climate-driven heat waves are worsening ozone levels. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has delayed and rolled back requirements meant to hold companies accountable for their emissions.
California Is Testing a New Model for Tackling Homelessness
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 802 on Sunday, which requires Sacramento, as well as all smaller cities within the county, to coordinate and form a joint powers authority that will lead the region’s homelessness response.
New Hampshire Offers a Model for States Rethinking License Plate Readers
New Hampshire is already a decade ahead. Since 2016, the Granite State has had one of the strictest laws in the country regulating and limiting automated license plate readers. The result: While license plate-tracking cameras from companies like Flock, Axon, and Motorola Solutions have proliferated in other states in recent years, New Hampshire’s years-old law appears to have prevented those companies from establishing a foothold here.
Election Officials Prepare for Federal Intervention in the Midterms
But this year, they are wrestling a potential threat they have never before considered: the possibility that the federal government might disrupt the administration of November’s elections. It’s not clear what action, if any, the Trump administration may take to interfere with the 2026 midterms, but election officials from jurisdictions large and small are preparing for everything from immigration officers at the polls to federal attempts to seize ballots.
New Mexico’s Free Childcare Program Faces Growing Pains
Last November, New Mexico became the first state to offer childcare at no cost to all residents. Childcare enrollment has increased significantly, but the supply of caregivers lags behind demand. Funding for the program is built into the state constitution and so far the Legislature maintains a long-term commitment to building the system despite growing pains. “First to be second” is a time-honored government strategy — a field test is prudent when public dollars are in play.
A Quiet Hurricane Season Is No Time for Complacency
The Atlantic has gone noticeably quiet this year, with a near-record El Nino shearing storms apart before they can organize. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now gives this storm season a 75 percent chance of finishing below normal, with as few as seven named storms. That calm is a red herring for any community mistaking it for safety.
Texas Failed to Send Voter Registrations to County Officials
DPS failed to send the applications, which were submitted by voters through its online driver’s license portal, to county voter registrars for processing, according to an email sent to county officials and provided to Votebeat. The state confirmed to Votebeat that it would begin delivering the unsent registrations to county officials overnight.
Map: Where Diesel and Gas Are Most Expensive
Will roadside signs advertising gas prices run out of digits? The sign at one station on a remote stretch of California Highway 1 is stuck at $9.99. The owner might have to charge even more to stay in business — he depends on gasoline-fueled generators for electricity — but he’s aware his prices could put him out of business. The average cost of a gallon of gas at this writing, $4.47, is more than 50 percent greater than before the Iran war.
What’s the Best Way to Fight Wildfires? All of Them.
One of the problems with how America deals with wildfires is thinking there is one primary strategy that can end the nation’s wildfire crisis. Whether that’s detecting and putting out every fire fast, increasing logging and forest thinning, or allowing fires to burn under safe conditions, the default choice today is to pour more money and effort into the star approach of the moment.
Hawaii Wanted Fewer Tourists Who Spend More. Did It Work?
Seven years after Hawaiʻi hit a record 10.5 million visitors, it would seem the mission has been accomplished. Preliminary figures from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism show on average, fewer visitors than last year — nearly a million less than the pre-pandemic peak — while spending is up per person. Travelers are also staying for noticeably fewer days, but tourism officials today are not celebrating.
Map: CO2 Emissions by State
Last week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a repeal of Biden-era greenhouse gas regulations for power plants. The agency touted the move as the “largest power sector deregulatory action in U.S. history.” Responses to the announcement from government climate action networks emphasized health risks from power plant pollution.
Hawaii Spent Millions Expanding Preschool. Its Supply Still Shrunk.
At a time when only about half of those kids were attending preschool, and parents were spending thousands on private tuition, state leaders promised to improve the lives of working families and tackle Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living. Six years, over $100 million and more than 100 public pre-K classrooms later, the results are in: Hawaiʻi has fewer preschool seats today than it did when it began.
Can Startups Help Fix Rural Healthcare? States Are Betting on It.
In rural America, where people are often reported to be sicker with poor access to healthcare, the cash influx is a relief. In the economic development space where Fleig operates, it’s an opportunity. “Look, that’s a lot of money for what we do,” said Fleig, whose state-funded economic development office invests in corporate launches, ranging from software startups to shipbuilders.
A New Economic Boon for Rural Areas: Immigrant Detention
In January, during Operation Country Roads, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state and local law enforcement detained roughly 600 immigrants across West Virginia. Many of those arrested were held in the state’s already overpopulated jail system, which until this spring was part of a national network of immigrant detention centers. Within this market, ICE ships detainees around the country, paying hundreds of facilities a per-day rate for housing them.
Nevada’s First Wastewater-to-Drinking-Water Plant Takes Shape in Reno
The City of Reno and Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) broke ground last week on an Advanced Purified Water Facility, a plant that will treat roughly 2 million gallons of wastewater a day to make it compliant with drinking-water standards and send it into a groundwater aquifer near Stead Airport, a first for Nevada.
Local Election Officials Respond to Supreme Court Ruling on Mail Voting
A Supreme Court ruling has closed the door over uncertainty regarding mail voting in the upcoming primary elections. A proposed system administered by the U.S. Postal Service will not be implemented. The ruling is a relief to election officials, but the uncertainty that developed before the ruling has created additional work for them.
Should Corporations Get to Vote in Local Elections?
It’s not because the 65-room hotel claims to be Fenwick Island’s first upscale getaway, where the best suites can cost $2,000 per night during peak summer season. It’s not because the heated rooftop pool hosts Mermaid Tasha, one of the best known professional mermaids in the area. Fenwick Shores is elite because it is a hotel with the right to vote. The Fenwick Shores hotel on the Delaware coast carries a stamp of unusual privilege.
A Better Way to Get Electricity to Where It’s Needed
But in virtually every state, there aren’t enough high-voltage transmission lines to bring that electricity cost-effectively from where it’s generated to the local networks where it’s distributed and used in homes and businesses. Transmission congestion added $12 billion in costs to the system in 2024. High-voltage power lines are essential infrastructure for keeping energy affordable in an era of rising demand, but they are extremely difficult to permit and build.
Minnesota Turns to New Technology to Fight Financial Aid Fraud
A two-year school in the Twin Cities suburbs, Century College educates about 8,700 students. And its employees spend roughly 60 hours a week fending off financial aid fraud attempts by criminals. Those hours are largely spent scouting out so-called “ghost students,” criminals who enroll in classes using stolen or fake identities just long enough to receive financial aid — and then disappear.
Upstate New York Cities Are Making More Room for Bikes
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany — three of which are headed by progressive mayors elected last November — are reshaping their streets to make cycling less dangerous and more practical. In the past two years, three of the cities joined Vision Zero, a campaign that aims to reduce and eventually eliminate traffic deaths.
How States Can Make More Room for Manufactured Housing
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which was passed by Congress with broad bipartisan support and became law in July 2026, includes several provisions intended to expand the use of manufactured housing in the United States. However, many states will need to update their policies in accordance with the federal changes so that manufactured housing can grow.
The $42.5 Billion Federal Broadband Program Is Finally Ready to Build
On August 25, the Trump administration Commerce Department finally approved Illinois’s spending plan under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Illinois was the last straggler of the 56 states and territories to receive clearance under the $42.5 billion internet funding program.
Oklahoma Ended a School Meal Program. Districts Say They Were Blindsided.
The southeast Oklahoma district stretched its school day to seven hours instead of the typical six, adding academic enrichment and homework help time after 2 p.m. to qualify for a federal program that pays for the third meal, Superintendent Jason Lindley said. Two weeks into Hartshorne’s school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shocked districts statewide when it announced it would discontinue the extended-day third meal option on Oct. 1, when the next federal fiscal year begins.
Can Cities Measure the Violence That Didn’t Happen?
In line with that, Frey proposed “doubling down” on the city’s Community Safety Ambassador program, citing “early signs of success.” Conversely, he said, funding would drop for violence interrupters, calling it a “noble program filled with committed and talented community leaders,” but one that “has not demonstrated the level of results taxpayers deserve.” When Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presented his proposed budget for 2027, he returned again and again to a familiar theme: tough times...
New Jersey Schools Launch Phone Ban as Year Begins
New Jersey children are starting their first school year under a statewide law aimed at banning students from using their cellphones during the school day — from the first to the last bell — a sweeping policy change that education officials are confident will have a positive impact on kids, though they say it’ll take months to know the full effect. “The idea of the bell-to-bell ban is that phones are just separate from the school day. It’s not even coming out in the hallways or between classes.
Education and the Consequences of Federal Fragmentation
For more than four decades, conservatives have argued that the U.S. Department of Education should be eliminated. President Donald Trump has moved that long-standing aspiration closer to reality than ever before. Through executive orders, mass layoffs and interagency agreements, the administration has begun dismantling the department and dispersing many of its functions across the federal government.
Map: The States With the Highest Rates of Mail Voting
Almost 1 in 3 Americans voted by mail in the 2024 general election, but in 2025 President Donald Trump expressed a desire to get rid of mail ballots before the 2026 midterm elections. As the midterms grow closer, election administrators have their eye on court rulings around his March 2026 executive order on mail ballots. There is little evidence of mail ballot fraud. In some cases, researchers have found that recent claims of fraud have been based on misinterpretation of voting data.
Wyoming Is Bringing Four-Year Degrees Behind Prison Walls
“So, who’s going first?” asked Rob Colter, a gray-bearded UW philosophy professor. “Final presentation. Create your own festival.” One of the students, Taylor Nicks, snapped her fingers in approval. One spring afternoon when the sun beamed down on the Wyoming Women’s Center, a prison in Lusk, six students sat in a fluorescent-lit room with laptops open before them. A brown and gold University of Wyoming banner with a cowboy on a bucking bronc hung on the far wall.
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